Singing Guitarist (recto)
Medium
pen and black ink over charcoal
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.339,"width":0.215}}
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
Accession Number
1991.59.a
Tags
male
About this artwork
The first six-string guitars appeared simultaneously in Naples and Paris in the 1770s, and by the end of the 19th century the so-called Romantic guitar played a central role in the popular music of the French capital. Daumier’s drawing reflects this interest in street singers and carnival performers. The agitated, almost frenetic tangle of fine lines drawn in pen and ink imbues the figure with life, so that his voice and instrument seem to vibrate with emotion.